The Purge
The Purge is a 2013 American horror film written and directed by James DeMonaco. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, and Max Burkholder as a family held hostage during "The Purge", which is a 12-hour time in which all illegal acts are decriminalized. The film grossed $89.3 million against a $3 million budget. It was the lowest-budgeted film to hit the top of the box office charts since 1988. The film would become the first installment in The Purge franchise. A sequel, titled The Purge: Anarchy, was released worldwide on July 18, 2014, to even greater success. A third movie, titled The Purge: Election Year, was released July 1, 2016. A fourth titled, The First Purge is scheduled to be released on July 4, 2018. Plot James Sandin returns to his home in an affluent Los Angeles gated community to wait out the night with his wife Mary and their two children, Zoey Sandin and Charlie Sandin. The family is assured that the security system manufactured by James' company will keep them safe. While the family awaits the start of the purge, Zoey meets her boyfriend Henry, an older boy whom James dislikes. James enables the security system, and as the purge begins, the family disperses in their home to go about their normal routines. Zoey returns to her room to unexpectedly find Henry, who sneaked back in before the security system was engaged, and says that he plans to confront her dad about their relationship. Meanwhile, Charlie watches the security monitors, and sees a wounded man calling for help. He temporarily disables the system to allow the man into the house. James races to re-engage the system and holds the man at gunpoint as Henry comes downstairs and pulls a gun on James. Henry fires at James and misses, but James fires back, mortally wounding and eventually killing Henry. During the chaos, the wounded man disappears and hides. Through the surveillance cameras, the family witness a gang of masked, heavily armed young adults arriving at the front lawn. The leader warns them that failure to surrender the wounded man will result in invasion. Mary asks James if the security system will protect them, but James admits the system will not actually resist a determined assault. They decide to find the man and give him to the purge gang outside, but after capturing him they realize they are no better than the gang. They decide to spare the man, and defend themselves against the gang. With their deadline having passed, the gang uses a truck to rip the metal plating off the front door and enter the house. James fights back with a shotgun and kills several gang members before being mortally wounded by the leader. Charlie views the surveillance cameras, and notices their neighbors leaving their homes. The neighbors overpower and murder the gang. Elsewhere, Mary is subdued by two purgers, one of whom tickle tortures her before almost killing her, but are both killed by the neighbors. As the gang leader prepares to kill the remaining Sandins, Zoey appears and kills him. Mary thanks their neighbors for their support, but one of them, Grace Ferrin, reveals their hatred for the Sandins due to the wealth acquired at their expense. They tie Mary, Charlie, and Zoey up with duct tape, pulling them out into the hallway to kill them, but as the neighbors make final preparations for the murder, the man whom Charlie let in earlier reappears. He shoots a neighbor dead and holds Grace hostage, forcing the neighbors to free the Sandins. He asks if Mary wishes to kill the neighbors, but Mary spares them. Eventually, the sirens go off, announcing the end of the annual purge. The neighbors leave, Mary thanks the man for his help, and he bids the Sandins good luck. During the credits, news reports are heard, which state that this year’s purge was the most successful to date. Other stations broadcast that the stock market is booming due to the massive sales of weapons and security systems. A man’s voice is then heard, who states that both of his sons were killed the night before, and that his strong patriotism is now gone. Cast * Ethan Hawke as James Sandin * Lena Headey as Mary Sandin * Adelaide Kane as Zoey Sandin * Max Burkholder as Charlie Sandin * Rhys Wakefield as Polite Leader * Arija Bareikis as Grace Ferrin * Dana Bunch as Mr. Ferrin * Chris Mulkey as Mr. Halverson * Tisha French as Mrs. Halverson * Tom Yi as Mr. Cali * John Weselcouch as Interrupting Purger * Alicia Vela-Bailey as Female Tickling Purger * Aaron Kuban as Purger * Boima Blake as Purger * Nathan Clarkson as Purger * Chester Lockhart as Purger * Tyler Osterkamp as Purger * R. J. Wolfe as Purger * Trazariah Shells as Purger * Thomas Fuentelzar as Purger * Edwin Hodge as Bloody Stranger * Cindy Robinson as Purge Announcement Voice * Tony Oller as Henry * Karen Strassman as Newscaster * Peter Bzovdas as Dr. Peter Buynak